Is 4/20 All Smoke? Colorado Marijuana Sales Slow in April.

June 13, 2018 ·
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Even the high holiday of 4/20 couldn’t lift Colorado’s marijuana revenue in April, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue, whose most recent figures show sales dropping that month from March’s totals. The dip from March to April isn’t a new occurrence, however; April 2017 also registered a small decline over March 2017.

Marijuana products totaling over $ 124 million were sold at Colorado dispensaries in April, the DOR reports, an amount that’s nearly $ 11 million less than sales the month before. But then, Colorado saw the highest recreational sales ever in March (nearly $ 106 million), and that made for a tough act to follow. Although 4/20 creates plenty of hype and long lines at dispensaries, much of those transactions involve “holiday” deals and sales, with some customers stocking up for many days after April 20. Previous reports on 4/20 have also indicated that pre-rolled joints — which have a lower price point than flower, edibles and concentrates — are a big seller on the holiday.

Despite the decline from March to April, recreational sales in April 2018 were up almost 12 percent over April 2017, although medical sales were 29 percent less in April 2018 than in April 2017. Year-to-year, overall marijuana sales continue to grow, although that growth is slowing as prices fall and other states enter the market.

Find the full DOR breakdown of April’s marijuana revenue below:

Thomas Mitchell has written about all things cannabis for Westword since 2014, covering sports, real estate and general news along the way for publications such as the Arizona Republic, Inman and Fox Sports. He’s currently the cannabis editor for westword.com.